CLIMATE AND SOIL 23 



and care, the flax plant will grow in any humid climate and in 

 a considerable variety of soils, providing they are not too 

 heavy nor too light. The conclusions gathered from many 

 and varied experiences are that the flax plant readily adapts 

 itself to the different soils, climate and environment. It 

 should be noted that good crops of flax have been grown on 

 light soils of a sandy nature. Many of the best Irish crops of 

 flax have been raised on soils of this nature. A student of 

 soils and of general farming crops contends that a rich light 

 soil is best suited for flax. Experience and observations have 

 frequently proved that a good loamy soil, ploughed 6 or 7 in. 

 deep over a firm clay sub-soil, is ideal for a flax crop. On such 

 soils several excellent crops of flax were recently produced. 

 If the sub-soil does not naturally drain off the surplus moisture, 

 the damp field should be well drained because flax is never 

 satisfactorily grown in water-logged soils. Ideally, the soil 

 and conditions should be such that the moisture readily 

 percolates in wet weather and is freely absorbed from the 

 lower strata in dry weather. 



24. Environment and Crop Production. The foregoing 

 factors are capable of producing very considerable changes in 

 the growth, quality, length, strength, elasticity, silkiness, 

 harshness and colour of the fibre, but scarcely to the extent 

 that some experimenters assert. 



All crops are affected by their environment, e.g., white 

 blossom flax (Linum usitatissimum, album), frequently grown 

 on the heavy soils of Friesland, yields a flax plant which is 

 stronger and coarser than the blue blossom (vulgar e] plant. 

 :< When this seed was sown in South Holland it produced a 

 class of seed that the best judges could not distinguish from 

 ' Blue blossom.' ' Nevertheless the farmers of South Holland 

 will not sow the " white blossom " variety whenever the 

 " blue blossom " is procurable. . 



Alluvial soils and re-claimed foreshore lands are reputed 

 to favour the production of excellent crops when sown with 

 seed saved from the blue flowered plants. Generally speaking, 



